Fed is Best | Motherhood | Crestview, FL Photographer
When I was pregnant with my first child I was 100% positive that I was going to breastfeed him. But, as every Mom knows, this journey with kids is so unpredictable and things don't always go as planned no matter how badly you want them to. I was in active labor for 14 long, unmedicated, hours when I was told that I would have to have a c-section. Was it the end of the world? Well no, but for someone who didn't even have it in the back of her mind at all, it was pretty devastating.
Of course everything went great, my little guy came out healthy as could be and I loved him more than anything in the world. It was definitely one of the best days of my life! But I was in a lot of pain. I didn't really get much help from the staff with breastfeeding and getting him to latch properly, so by the time I got home my nipples were cracked and bleeding. If you've never experienced this, lucky you, because that crap hurts haha! Between that and my c-section incision I was so miserable. I also believe I was dealing with a little bit of postpartum depression which just added onto to the misery.
That first week was such an emotional rollercoaster for all of us. I just cried and cried and cried. My husband didn't know what to do, I wasn't even close to enjoying motherhood, and I just felt like I was completely failing my boy. As much as I wanted to, I felt like I couldn't give up breastfeeding because "formula is bad" and what will people think and will we have that same kind of bond that breastfeeding moms do???? It was such a difficult decision for me, but eventually I did give up and I felt so guilty about it for the longest time. But then I had a moment where I realized- my baby is happy, healthy, and thriving on formula. I'm happy. I'm enjoying motherhood, my husband was able to help me feed him (which he LOVED), my son and I had an INCREDIBLE bond and overall everything was so much better for our little family!
So in this case, for my family, formula was what was best for us. However, I did successfully breastfed our second child (18 months) and it has been a completely different but amazing experience! I have enjoyed every single moment of it. But you know what? The results are the same-- two happy, healthy, beautiful, amazing little boys who love their Mama unconditionally. Which just goes to show it isn't about the way you feed them, it is about the way you love, nurture, and care for them!!! Let's be honest, our babes aren't going to remember how they were fed as infants, they are going to remember how you raised them. So please please please don't let the choice between formula and breastfeeding determine your worth as a mother. If you are trying your hardest to make decisions with your child's absolute best interest in mind, you are doing a good job Mama!
I am so thankful for these 5 ladies who came out to support one another and help advocate that Fed is Best! They were amazing and just absolutely stunning. There was a lot of laughs, a little conversation, some baby loving.... and then they nourished their littles in a way that was best for their family<3 It was a such beautiful evening and I'm so thankful I was there to document it all! If you missed out, don't worry- I'll be doing it again next year with hopefully even more Mama's! Until then, here's the rest of the images from this gorgeous session... enjoy <3
